Where Your Heart Lies
by Arella Ashkenazic
Summary: At twenty-one, will Eiko lose everything because a deadly admirer has taken upon himself to both love her and destroy her life, her home, and her family? Rated R for short lemon in Ch9. Please R/R!!!
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1:**

**_Approximately fifteen years after the original events of Final Fantasy IX._**

The same musical lyric that had so shaped the lives of the people she loved floated over Eiko on that soft Alexandria summer morning.  She was visiting Queen Garnet and Prince Regent Zidane at their castle, more for a diplomatic visit than a social one.  Regent Cid was getting old, and so were most of the other courtiers in Lindblum.  Because of this, Eiko had been making many of the decisions for Lindblum for the past few years.  One of these decisions had been to make a call upon Alexandria to talk to Garnet and Zidane about what needed to be done with the current situation in Lindblum.

The castle itself hadn't changed much since the last time she had visited, or since any time before that at all.  The only big difference was the added graveyard in the castle that had been dedicated to those who were loved and passed away.  Zidane had insisted that Kuja's remains be put in the castle graveyard.  Garnet had protested at first, but she soon gave in when she saw how much it meant to him.  Eiko never had been able to understand their relationship, but that didn't matter all that much.

A lot of things _had changed, though.  For instance, Vivi and his family had moved into the Black Mage Village about ten years earlier, and they were all living quite happily on that continent.  They visited Lindblum and Alexandria very often.  Freya and Sir Fratley went back to Burmecia with the other rats and rebuilt the city into a very glorious, and very rainy haven for their people to live.  Of course, the population was about what it had been when Brahn and Kuja had practically wiped out the race.  Rats multiply quickly, Eiko learned.  As for Amarant, he had disappeared after Zidane made his stunning appearance back in Alexandria.  Eiko hadn't seen him in Lindblum, but there were rumors floating around of his affair with a certain bounty huntress.  As for Garnet and Zidane, they were happy enough, with three children._

Ah, yes, the children.  Eiko smiled.  The castle was full of them.  Not only did Garnet and Zidane's children run rampant, but Beatrix and Steiner also had a daughter.  Ruby and Blank had a very young child; they finally got their act together, and the gardens were always filled with laughter.

Eiko took out her flute and began to play along with the melody of the music.  As the voice singing dropped into harmony, the sound blending over the garden shifted into a strange minor key, which hadn't been the intent.  Eiko pulled her flute away from her lips and looked at the sky.  She shivered.  Something was coming, something very dangerous… something worse than Kuja could have ever been.

She ran down from the balcony, her ladylike dress of yellow and pink flying.  She wore dresses only because Regent Cid felt that it was necessary if she was going to represent the royal family of Lindblum.  But when she was being casual, she wore a more fitting jumpsuit of the same colors.  Her tastes hadn't changed any since she was six.

"Princess Eiko!" someone called as she ran down the stairs.  Eiko paused a moment to look around.  A young woman of fifteen was running toward her.  She seemed to be in a panic as well, her light brown hair was windblown and her blue eyes were wide with panic.  "Princess Eiko, was that you playing out there?"

Eiko smiled fondly at Dagger, Garnet and Zidane's oldest daughter.  "It sure was.  What's wrong?"

"I-I don't know.  I just feel something strange… something evil in the air.  I was just running to talk to Mother and Father about it.  Did you feel it, too?"

"Yes," Eiko nodded.  "Something very strange is happening, and we must find out what it is so we can be prepared.  Let's go to your parents together."

Dagger nodded.  "I hope that we're wrong, and that it isn't as bad as it feels."

"I agree," Eiko whispered.  "Let's pray that we are very, very wrong."

Garnet and Zidane were waiting with Beatrix and Steiner in the throne room as Eiko and Dagger ran in.  The halted quickly, and both tried to smooth their hair out and appear presentable before their superiors.  Eiko curtsied gracefully, "Your Majesties."

Garnet just laughed.  "Don't you think that after all these years, we could spare the 'Your Majesties', Eiko?"

"Yeah," Eiko blushed.  "But on to more serious matters…"

"Like your twenty-first birthday next month.  We are planning to all be at Lindblum to support you and the coronation of Lindblum's first queen.  I love Uncle Cid desperately, but he's just getting too old to rule," Garnet said imperiously.

Eiko and Dagger looked at each other curiously.  There was a long pause before Zidane finally said, "That isn't what you wanted to talk to us about, is it?"

"Uh, no, Father," Dagger responded.  "Actually, we wanted to talk to you about this really bad feeling that both Eiko and I got when we were outside.  I was singing the lullaby, and she began to play it on her flute.  All of a sudden, the music changed, but neither of us had changed it.  It turned minor, into a sad, angry tune."

"_Our lullaby?" Garnet asked._

Eiko nodded.  "Yes.  There's something really evil out there.  I'm surprised you didn't feel it, Garnet.  I mean, both of us have the heightened senses of summoners.  Dagger, too.  It's strange that you didn't feel anything."

"Yeah, it is," Zidane agreed.  "Garnet, dear, you've always been able to sense things like that."

Garnet sighed wearily.  "Maybe I'm just getting older.  I haven't used any of my eidolons in ages.  It could be that I'm just out of practice."

"I doubt it," Eiko argued.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, since a summoner's powers are born into them, so it wouldn't make since for you to lose your powers when you're only thirty-one," she pointed out.

"She's right," Beatrix made her first comment for the evening.

Steiner put his arm around his wife.  "I would have to agree.  Whoever is causing this must have found a way to block her Majesty's summoner intuition.  I trust Princess Eiko and Princess Dagger's judgments, though.  We must investigate."

Dagger and Eiko exchanged glances again.  "Sorry, Steiner, but you're getting a little old for this sort of thing.  How about you let Eiko and I try our luck at it.  We have our resources."

"Absolutely not!" Steiner objected immediately.

"You still sputter too much," Zidane muttered under his breath.

"It's not your decision anyway," Eiko said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Aren't _you a little old to be doing things like that, Princess?" Steiner retorted._

"Maybe so, but I'm cuter than you, so it's allowed."

After that remark, there was a long pause while Garnet and Zidane both thought about all the aspects of sending their eldest daughter and Eiko, who was like a sister to them, on a dangerous quest.

"I don't know…" Zidane said after a while.

Garnet put her hand on his arm.  "Dearest, let them just try and figure out what's wrong.  I know what I would have done if something like this happened and Mother had tried to force me to stay home."

Zidane smiled fondly at her.  "All right.  But no getting involved.  Just investigate."

"All right!" Eiko and Dagger exclaimed at the same time.

"First stop should be Lindblum to get one of the airships," Eiko continued.  "And then, second stop, Treno.  I'm sure that Doctor Tot could lend us a helping hand in this matter."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2:**

Two days later. 

Eiko and Princess Dagger floated easily through the south gate, but something was wrong.  The gate didn't close after them, and it was already open when they got there, like no one was patrolling the entrances and exits of the airships.

Dagger sniffed the air and pushed her brown hair out of her eyes.  "Ugh.  Something smells absolutely dreadful."

Eiko hadn't been paying attention to the smell in the air, or to Dagger, really, so she looked up and sniffed for herself.  Wrinkling her dainty nose, she had to agree.  "Smells like someone has been mixing potions… or using some disgusting kind of magic.  Demi sometimes gives off a pungent odor, but nothing like this…"

"I wonder what's going on," Dagger mused.

Since both of the women had been out of Lindblum for a few months, and since communication was generally slow, it wasn't any real surprise that they were both clueless about what was going on in the city, and surprise definitely awaited them inside…

Eiko turned to Dagger and nodded her head toward their rooms.  "Why don't we go in and change into our jumpsuits.  That way we can go through the city a little bit more undetected than if we were in full royal uniform."

Dagger agreed and they both headed back into the rooms.

A few minutes later, both of the girls came out, looking like simple travelers other than for the aristocratic looks that each of them bore on their faces.  Dagger wore a jumpsuit almost identical to the one that her mother had worn those fifteen years earlier on her own adventure.  The only real difference was that it wasn't orange, it was blue.  Her hair was pulled back with a blue ribbon in the same style, and she would have almost looked exactly like Queen Garnet if it wasn't for her lighter hair and brilliant blue eyes.

Eiko, on the other hand, wore a yellow and pink jumpsuit, that was somewhat similar to the one she wore when she was six.  The pants didn't bag out as much, and it fit her womanly figure perfectly.  She had her purple hair pulled back at the nape of her neck in a ponytail by the same yellow ribbon that she always wore.  It would have been impossible to hide the horn on her forehead, but she didn't care that much if the people in town recognized her, since they were so used to seeing her around anyway.

They got off the airship in the palace, and noticed that the air was even more putrid inside than it had been as they passed the South Gate.  Dagger covered her face.  "Good God, what _is_ that?!"

Eiko couldn't give her an answer.  "I have a better question.  Where are all the guards?  Where are the usual escorts?  There isn't anyone here!"

Dagger pulled her daggers (for she didn't use much magic like Garnet did, but rather favored her father's choices of weaponry), and Eiko got out her flute.  They both paused before going forward to re-equip the appropriate abilities and to make sure that both were fully healed.  Eiko looked carefully at Dagger.  "Be _very_ careful.  This is the first time you have ever seen anything like this, and I don't want to be responsible to your parents if something happens to you."

"Uh… okay," Dagger agreed, gulping nervously.

They both crept forward towards the throne room, but encountered no monsters as they passed.  They didn't encounter any other people, though, either.  Eiko led Dagger forward, and they headed for the hall where they expected to find Cid and Hilda.  When they finally did make it to the throne room, Eiko shoved Dagger back with a choking sob.  "Don't look!"

All the people of the palace hung gutted from the beams of the throne room, with Cid and Hilda at the front.  Dagger and Eiko turned away from the bloody mess, both of them with tears running down their faces.  "How could someone do that?  Just ruthlessly kill so many people in cold blood?!"

Eiko shook her head to Dagger's question.  "I don't know.  I just don't know."

"We can't just leave them there!" Dagger wailed.  "But I can't bare to try and take them down!"

Eiko sighed, but it choked in her throat on the tears.  "W-well, we have to do something.  They've been dead too long for me to cast Life on them."

"I know, but we have to do something!" Dagger berated her.

Turning back to face the gruesome sight, Eiko steeled herself to face what she saw.  Biting back the tears, she took one of Dagger's knives and began slicing the ropes that held the bodies up.  As she got through the last row of them, she looked at the throne.  A small note, embossed in gold sat there with her name on it.

"Your Majesty, Queen Eiko of Lindblum-

Greetings.

I have now insured that you will not rest until you come for me.  I will be waiting until we meet and I will finally have you in my grasp.

Sincerely,  
Your Admirer"

"That's, that's horrible!" Dagger cried.

"Indeed," Eiko agreed, her teeth clenched.  "And when I find him, he won't even remember what the meaning of horrible is."

**_A week later, after the funeral_**.

"I absolutely _forbid_ you to continue with this!" Zidane roared.  He and Garnet had come to Lindblum for the funeral, a few days earlier.

"We can't stop now, Father.  We're _already_ involved, and not by choice.  We must find who did this to Eiko's family," Dagger tried to reason with Zidane, but everyone knew how stubborn he was.  "You're just not as young as you used to be, and I can't very well let her try and find this guy on her own."

"She is right…" Garnet put in.

"Be quiet, dear," Zidane snapped.  "No, I absolutely forbid it!"

Eiko stepped in.  "We aren't in any danger for now.  I'm taking the Hildagard 3 to the Black Mage Village.  I've decided that we should skip over Treno.  Whoever killed my Father and Mother used a kind of magic I've never seen before.  Hopefully, Vivi and his family will be able to help us figure out what to do.  They might know something about it.  If they don't give us any leads, then we will go to Treno and talk to Doctor Tot."

Zidane was not completely appeased, but he seemed to be less against it.  "We-ell, if you're going to visit Vivi, I guess that can't cause too much harm…"

"It won't, Father, I promise!" Dagger said gleefully.

"I guess it will be all right then," he continued.  Garnet smiled gratefully at him and kissed him on the cheek.

"All right then," Eiko said, her fists tight and her knuckles white with anger.  "Let's go to the Black Mage Village.  I want to catch this bastard before he destroys any more lives."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

The same day.

Eiko sat in her room, hunched over the piece of paper.  She read it over and over until she finally crunched it in her fist and through it across the room into her garbage bin.  Her face was still filled with fury.

Princess Dagger shared the adjoining room, but she tried not to get in Eiko's way.  Everyone knew that the new queen of Lindblum had a terrible temper, and it was better to stay out of her way when she was in a rage than to try and calm her down.  Dagger figured that it would subside eventually… at least from a pot of rapidly boiling pitch to a low simmer.

Beatrix, who had come with Garnet and Zidane to Lindblum, knocked cautiously on Eiko's door.  After Eiko gave  her grudging approval to enter, she came in with a lovely young lady behind her.  Beatrix and Steiner's daughter, Cahira, was the same age as Princess Dagger, and followed swiftly in her parents' footsteps.  She had the same blonde hair as Beatrix, and had also gained her beauty, but her disposition faltered between her two parents.  She was as stiff as Steiner, but when the time called for it, she could change her mind on matters of importance.  Being female, she was also a little more understanding.

"I know that you are not under the rules of Alexandria," Beatrix began, "But Zidane and Garnet would like for Cahira to accompany you on your quest.  I know that you will not stop at the Black Mage Village, and that you and Dagger will search the whole world to find the killer of your parents."

"Respectfully, Beatrix, I don't need protection," Eiko said, her blue eyes still glowing with fury.

Cahira's soft voice piped up.  "We didn't think that you did, Queen Eiko.  We are worried about Princess Dagger.  It is my responsibility to watch over the Princess, as it was my parents' responsibility to watch over her Majesty, Queen Garnet.  We are not giving you a choice in this matter.  I _am coming with you."_

Eiko studied the young woman for a moment and then sighed.  "Fine.  You may come, but only because I think that we might need your help.  You are a powerful fighter, Cahira, and I respect that."

Cahira bowed sardonically.  "When do we leave, your Majesty?"

"Stop that!" Eiko admonished.  "Please, just call me Eiko.  We leave tomorrow morning for the Black Mage Village.  And from there… well, wherever this assassin takes us."

The next morning, Dagger hugged her parents goodbye.  Zidane still looked unsure of letting them go, but he seemed more confident now that he knew Cahira would be accompanying them.  Garnet kissed her daughter on the cheek.  "Be a good girl, Dagger.  And stay out of trouble as much as possible."

Dagger grinned wickedly.  "You know me, mother."

"Indeed."

Cahira's departing was a little more formal.  She saluted both her parents, and they gave her last minute instructions on caring for Princess Dagger.  Then Beatrix pulled her into a rough embrace, and she was on her way.

Eiko didn't say any goodbyes.  She was quiet and withdrawn, but she nodded curtly to her friends before she boarded the airship.

As she stepped forward, she saw another familiar face, leaning against the captain's wheel.  Brushing his red hair back with his hand, Blank said, "Didn't think you were just going to fly the ship yourself, did you?  Besides, Tantulus has got to have spies on their Queen's airships, don't they?"

Eiko couldn't make herself be angry at Blank for interfering.  In fact, in some ways she was just relieved.  She knew that the Tantulus group was supportive of her, and they showed their affection and patriotism in odd ways.  She was sure that this was one of those ways.  "You did leave Ruby and the little one behind, right?"

"You think I was going to let them get involved in murder and mayhem?"  Blank asked.

"Of course not!" Eiko snapped.

"Then you already knew the answer before you asked."

It took them about a week to get to the forest where the Black Mage Village resided.  As the airship landed, Eiko instructed Dagger and Cahira to equip themselves.  The forest was full of monsters, and who knew what enemies could possibly be blocking their path?

With flute in hand, Eiko stepped down the boarding ramp, followed by Dagger, and then Cahira taking up the end.  Blank promised to stay and watch the airship, trusting the women to be able to take care of themselves.

They walked carefully through the forest, following the signs to the place where there were no owls, and continued towards the Village.  The black mages had long ago taken down their boarder that kept humans out of the village, on Vivi's instruction, Eiko was sure, and they had accepted the genomes into their society easily.  They traded with the humans and dwarves, and everyone seemed to be at harmony.  The enmity between people and the mages was long forgotten.

After a few brief fights with some strange owls and mushroom-like creatures, Dagger pointed toward the village. "I think I see it.  If we hurry, we can make it before nightfall."

The three women picked up their pace, and hurried toward the village.  Vivi was waiting for them at the entrance.

Eiko and Dagger hugged him, but Cahira stood back.  She didn't know Vivi as well as they did, and she was fairly reserved anyway.  Vivi looked at them, his yellow eyes glowing brightly.  "We've been expecting you."

"Do you know what's going on?" Eiko asked him, hoping that he could give them some clue to the deaths of her parents and to the name of her "Admirer".

"No, but the mages have been able to sense something in the air, and I figured that their would be some emissary from Alexandria and Lindblum in the future with questions regarding its origin."

Cahira nodded solemnly.  "There is more to it than that."

Dagger and Eiko quickly briefed him on everything that happened, from the strange melody at Alexandria, to the deaths of Regent Cid and Hilda, along with the note in Lindblum.  Vivi listened silently through the whole story.

"As I thought, there is evil stirring in the world again.  I had hoped that after destroying Kuja, we had finished it off, but as you know, that is too much to wish for.  Come, you will stay the night here, and in the morning, I will tell you my story, for strange things have been happening on this continent, too.  And then, tomorrow, we will continue our journey and see if we can find out what exactly is going on."

"We?" Dagger asked expectantly.

"You didn't think I was going to let you go alone, did you?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

A small fire was lit in the fireplace of the lone hut a little ways outside of the Black Mage Village.  Vivi liked to be with the black mages and the genomes, but he felt more comfortable away from the hussle and bussle of the rapidly growing little village.  So, when he built his cottage, he built it outside the town far enough that he felt secluded, and close enough that he could get there in about ten minutes of walking.  It was a reasonable arrangement, and he found that he really liked living there.

Eiko, Dagger, and Vivi sat in chairs in front of the fire, but Cahira stood in the doorway with her back to them.  She assured them that she was listening and that she didn't want to let her guard down because they were in familiar territory.  Dagger and Eiko just smiled; they were used to Cahira's temperament.  Dagger was more so because she lived with her in Alexandria Castle, but Eiko visited often, so she was also very familiar with how Cahira acted.  Because of this, they didn't hound her about standing at the door.

Vivi sighed and looked into the fire.  "Strange things have been happening here in the Village more than anywhere else.  I will tell you about the rest later."

"It began sometime early this spring, when we started feeling it.  As you know, a few years ago, we discontinued the ban of magic, so that we could use it for everyday things like starting fires and freezing food.  All in all, the whole process was working quite well until recently.  As I said, early spring."

"At first, it was the genomes who noticed it.  They said that something smelled funny in the air whenever we used our magic.  We couldn't smell anything, so we just let it pass as a fluke of what the genomes are.  But then, our magic started misfiring.  We became really worried when Mr. 438 tried to light a fire in his fireplace and set the adjacent house on fire!  By this point, we knew something was going on, so we called for a meeting with the Council of the Village, which is  comprised of five mages and five genomes, plus the head of the Council: me."

"After a long discussion, we decided that maybe it was just Mr. 438, but we would be careful with our magic.  That was a few weeks ago."

"No, all of a sudden, the power of our magic has diminished greatly.  It takes great effort to make even a small fire, or to ward off the few of the minor monsters in our forest.  Sometimes, we even have to gang up on them to get enough magic to scare them away.  At this point, last week, we sent some members of the village out to see what's going on with the dwarves and at Madain Sahri.  The genome and mage that went to the dwarf village told us that nothing has happened, and that all is quiet there.  However, the genome and mage that went to Madain Sahri have never returned."

"What about the Iifa tree?" Eiko asked.  "Has there been any new action since we destroyed it?"

"None," Vivi admitted.  "That's one of the first things we thought of, so I went to check it out myself.  Nothing.  No one has broken the new seal, and there is no action from inside."

"Strange…" Princess Dagger murmured.

"Not really, Dagger," Eiko said.  "Your asked Bahamut to seal the Iifa tree up.  It would take a lot of power to get past Bahamut, especially since he himself sits at the gate.  That's a pretty fearsome sight, let me tell you."

"I suggest we go to Madain Sahri," Cahira suggested softly.  It was the first real sentence she had spoken all evening.

"Why?" Eiko asked.  She had gone back there often enough to visit the moogles that lived there, but for some reason, she felt very nervous about going back there again.

"Well, it's really the only logical place to go, since the genome and black mage that went didn't return,"  Cahira pointed out.

Dagger agreed with her.  "We should go there.  I think that it might lead us to whoever was behind that massacre in Lindblum.  Maybe we'll find out who Eiko's deadly admirer is…"

Eiko slowly nodded.  "All right.  Then tomorrow morning, we'll head off for Madain Sahri, and see if we can find that missing genome and mage."

**Meanwhile…**

Kuja's old desert castle had been in silence for years.  The halls had been covered with dust, and the magic was weakening as time went by.  No one had warded the castle after Kuja disappeared.  It was almost like the world had forgotten it's exhistence.  But one person knew about it.

A man walked toward the main room, leaving footprints in the dust as he went.  The candles, long unlit, began to glow in his very presence, and the ethereal quality of the castle was once again present.

Monsters inhabited the place, from weak, worthless ones, to powerful bosses from fifteen years earlier that our original group of heroes did not kill, but none of them tried to dispute ownership of the forgotten palace with the man who confidently walked through its halls.  They scurried out of his way, like servants trying to avoid their master's watchful gaze.  But none of them left the castle.  They waited to serve their new master, to bring approval into his eyes, or they knew they would die.  They could not resist him.  They could not destroy him.  They must only serve.

In one of the back rooms, though, there were three forgotten enemies of the past, broken, abused, and alone.  The man touched the last, the most powerful one, and it shuddered under his hand.  "My Waltzes.  I will revive you again, and you will be more powerful than before.  And you will bring my bride to me."

With that, he continued toward the main hall, where he could finally establish his true mastership of the castle.

There was a picture of Kuja there, and he smiled as he looked at it.  Then, he pulled his giant sword from his back and slashed downward.  The picture split in half from corner to corner.

A grim smile played over his full lips as he lovingly touched one half of Kuja's face.  "I am master of your castle now.  And Eiko is my queen."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chaper 5:**

Eiko's heart was in her throat as they got closer and closer to Madain Sahri. It wasn't a very long flight, but something was making her nervous. Dagger was singing the lullaby again, and this time there was no haunting minor melody to follow it, but the air felt thick, and Eiko was finding it harder and harder to breathe.

Cahira came up behind her, laying a hand on her shoulder. It was the first time the young woman had ever touched Eiko, and she found the gesture strangely comforting. Cahira's lilting voice came into her ear. "Don't worry. Whatever we find, you will have us to back you up on it. We will protect you."

With tears in her eyes, Eiko impulsively turned around to hug Cahira. "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."

Vivi came out of the personal quarters onto the deck and walked up to Blank. "Don't land exactly in front of Madain Sahri. I'd like to walk around the outside a bit and see if we can find something that might give us a lead on what is going on here and what happened to the mage and genome. They were both my friends, and I'd like to look at the surrounding area and see if I can find them."

Blank nodded. "Will do. And, uh, once again, I'll just stay here and watch the ship. The last thing we need is for the airship to disappear."

"That would be a long trip home for you and the ladies."

"Yup."

The airship landed, and the party equipped themselves. They gave a few final instructions to Blank about what to look for in the way of suspicious things, and then headed down the ramp towards Madain Sahri. The air was even thicker in the old summoner city, and Eiko felt her throat constricting as she coughed. "What is going on here? It feels like the air is polluted."

"Cover your mouths!" Cahira ordered, ripping the bottom hem of her cloak off to wrap it around her mouth. Eiko took the thick bow out of her hair and did the same, and Dagger just held one of her heavy sleeves over her face. Vivi didn't seem worried about it, so they just let him do what he needed.

As they got to the edge of the city, Eiko pointed towards one of the bolders. "Look!"

A small foot donning a pink shoe was twisted on the top of one of them. The group ran towards the bolders, and Dagger quickly cast a float spell. Eiko and Dagger gasped in shock and hid their eyes as they surveyed the gruesomely crushed bodies of the genome and the black mage. Vivi nodded toward Cahira, who was already starting towards the bodies. "Let's take them to the airship. I'd like to give them a proper burial back at the Black Mage Village. Their families will appreciate it, and they will be given an honorable ceremony."

Cahira nodded, and the two of them quickly picked up the bodies and took them back to the ship, leaving Dagger and Eiko there with their hands over their faces and tears in their eyes. Neither woman was weak, but both had compassionate souls and would never wish something like that on anyone.

"It could have been an accident," Dagger said after a while.

"Possibly. We'll just have to go into Madain Sahri and find out," Eiko returned.

After a few moments, Vivi and Cahira were with them again, and they continued into the city. As they went, the air got thicker and thicker, until, suddenly, right as they came to Eiko's old house, the air cleared, and was the same light sea breeze it always had been. Each of them unwrapped their mouths, and cautiously walked forward. Eiko's face showed deep concern. "This is strange. Where are the moogles? They always come out to greet me."

Cahira nodded solemnly. "Stay here, your Majesty. Vivi and I will look inside."

"No," Eiko sighed. "I'm coming with you, no matter what is there."

After stepping into the home, she wished she hadn't. The moogles were suspended in air, all dead, and all just floating in substantial nothing. Dagger began to cry again. "This is so terrible!!!"

Eiko stepped forward, the rage that had been boiling inside her coming to the surface. "What kind of magic is this! Who would do something so awful to such innocent creatures!"

Tears began to stream down her face. "Who wants me so badly that he will destroy everything I care about?!"

A young voice came from the doorway. "Maybe it was that guy who came hear a couple days ago. He left a note for Queen Eiko."

The group spun around to stare at a young boy in the doorway. His hair was a burnished coppery red, and his eyes were the color of chocolate. He had a pointed nose and a pointed chin, and he reminded Eiko dreadfully of Amarant. His smile was big, however, and he seemed happier than the renowned Flaming Amarant ever had been. He pointed one skinny finger to the door. "My parents are out there. They'd like to talk to you."

Cautiously, the group followed him out to find exactly who Eiko had expected, Amarant and Lani. Amarant didn't say anything, but Lani smiled affectionately. "It's been a long time, Eiko. You sure have grown up!"

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Dagger asked.

"Princess Dagger," Lani bowed to her. "Give your parents my greetings when you see them. We go a long ways back."

"I know that this man is the Flaming Amarant, but who are you?" Cahira bit out, her harsh military training coming out in a quick burst.

"I am Lani, Amarant's wife."

"The famous bounty huntress."

"Indeed, but we are not here to collect any heads. Actually, I'm doing a favor for Eiko. Let's just say, I'm paying back old debts," Lani said with a smile. Amarant just grunted.

"I'm sending my boy here, Flynn, with you. He's seen the man who has done that dreadful thing inside. Describe him to Queen Eiko, my dear."

"He's sorta tall and girly looking, with blonde hair and eyes the color of the ocean. Oh, and he has a horn in the middle of his forehead. Like you," Flynn said, pointing at Eiko. "And he had a tail, like Zidane."

"A tail and a horn?" Dagger gasped. "He must be a genome summoner! That's impossible!"

"But all the summoners are dead except your mother and I."

"Apparently not, Majesty," Flynn continued, "Cause he had a horn, as sure as day, and he cast _some_ spell on those moogles in there. Here, he left you a note. I picked it up and showed it to Mom and Dad here. That's where they got the idea to send me with you. Here you go, Majesty."

Eiko took the note, her hands shaking. After reading it, she looked up at them. "I do believe that we have a very dangerous summoner on our hands, ladies and gentlemen."

"And mages," Vivi muttered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Eiko sat on one of the seats on the deck of the airship.  Vivi, Cahira, Dagger, Flynn, and Blank accompanied her.  She sighed mournfully; the days seemed to be more painful as this awful adventure continued onwards.

Princess Dagger walked over to her and gave her a brief hug.  "It's going to be okay, Eiko.  We're all here for you, you know."

Eiko looked out over the Madain Sahri, where the airship hovered.  Her eyes were hollow and emotionless as she said, "I lost my family so long ago… when I was just little.  But even then, Mog was still with me.  But… she died.  So, the moogles and Cid and Hilda became my family… and I have lost all of them in the matter of a few weeks."

"Don't give up, Eiko!" Dagger scolded.  "You haven't lost everyone!  Uncle Cid was your adopted father, and he's my mother's uncle, though probably not by blood, so that makes us family!  You haven't lost everyone!"

Eiko turned her face towards Dagger, taking a moment to register what the beautiful woman just told her.  Her empty face split into a pleased yet sad smile.  "No, I guess I haven't, have I?"

The Desert Palace 

Black Waltz No. 1 entered the newly designed thrown room in the Desert Palace.  He carried his little bell with him, but something about his manner showed that he was now more sane than he had been when he ran into Zidane all those years ago.

Behind him, Black Waltz No. 2 entered, bowing deferentially to the new owner of the Desert Palace.  He did not utter a word, like No. 1, and they both stood there, silently and respectfully, waiting for their other counterpart to speak for them.

The genome-summoner lounged gracelessly on the throne, one leg on the floor and the other looped over one of the arms.  He wore a simple white tunic, and he brushed his incredibly light, feathery blond hair out of his face, a movement that incredibly resembled one that Kuja would have made.  He nodded towards the door, his icy eyes glittering with expectation.

Black Waltz No. 3 entered and bowed low before the throne.  "My master.  I live only to serve."

"Indeed," the man picked a piece of fruit off of the tray that another monster had brought in earlier.  "And now that I have repaired you, you will live to serve me."

"W-we ask only one favor, my lord," Black Waltz No. 1 cut in quickly, but softly.

He smile.  "And what is that?"

"Revenge on Zidane!" Black Waltz No. 2 spat out.  "We have been broken down and lifeless all these years because of the little thief."

"How quaint.  Revenge.  That's so simple, my friends.  That's too simple," He bit into the fruit and spit a seed out, hitting No. 2 in the head.  "I have a much more wonderful, extravagant plan.  But yes, you will get your revenge on my dear Uncle Zidane in the same move that I will get my queen.  If you listen closely, I will tell you how…"

Madain Sahri 

Flynn stared over the edge of the airship, his feet hooked under the edge of the seat, and his whole upper torso and head hanging over the side of the ship.  He swayed his auburn head from side to side and shouted.  "Woo!  This makes you dizzy!"

"Flynn!" Cahira yelled, grabbing him by the waste.  "I don't even want to know what your parents would do to us if we let you fall out of the side of the airship.  You come up here this minute, young man!"

That was the longest sentence Eiko had ever heard her say, and she smiled, thinking that Cahira had finally found her calling in life: watching over the adventurous young boy.  She turned to Vivi, who was sitting next to her.  "Where should we go now?  I don't even have any idea of where to start… our only clues are the notes."

"Well, I would say to Burmecia.  Freya and Sir Fratley have created quite a spy network with their rats.  I would imagine that they know something about what is going on.  If we go talk to them, they will surely be willing to help us.  Besides, I'm sure someone there might be able to find something that we have missed on your notes," Vivi pointed out.

Eiko nodded.  "You're probably right.  Ever since they finished remodeling Burmecia and setting up the new government of Cleyrans and Burmecians combined, their spy network has become renowned."

"She might even be willing to send one of them with us."

"Okay, then.  We'll go to Burmecia."

Alexandria Castle 

Zidane tucked his middle daughter, age ten, into bed and kissed her cheek.  "Goodnight, Emerald.  Sleep well."

"Daddy, tell me a story!" Emerald laughed at him.

"You're getting to old for stories."

"No, I'm not!" Emerald argued.

Zidane just laughed.  "How about we make a bargan?  I have to go tuck your little sister into bed.  I'll send Steiner in to tell you a story!"

"Yea!  Uncle Steiner tells the _best_ stories!" Emerald clapped her hands.

"All right, then."  Zidane held out his hand to her.  "Deal?"

Emerald smacked his hand.  "Deal!"

"Good night, Emmy."

"'Night, Daddy."

As Zidane walked out of the room, he noticed that Steiner was standing outside the door with a smile on his face.  "You knew I was going to send you in to her, didn't you?"

"It's become a ritual, my prince."

"Yes, yes it has.  All right.  You go take care of Emmy.  I'll go take care of Jade."

Steiner saluted him.  "Yes, my prince."

Zidane walked into his youngest daughter's room, and stepped up to the bed, where he knew she was hiding.  Almost every night, Jade would hide under the covers and wait for him to try and find her.  The little six-year-old was rambunctious and adorable, and no one in the palace could resist her.  He snuck up to the bed and pulled the covers away, saying "Boo!", but Princess Jade wasn't there.  Confused, Zidane looked around the room, and as his eyes passed the window, he saw a figure quite a ways away, flying.  He blinked his eyes in astonishment.  "A Black Waltz?  Jade!  Jade!"

The Desert Palace 

"Don't be afraid, little one," the master of the palace, said, stroking Jade's little face.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Jade spat out.  Living in the comfort of her palace, and with the manner of her mother and her sister's to guide her, Jade had ended up being quite a willful little girl.  "My daddy will come rescue me!  And when he does, _you _will be the one who is afraid."

"What a sweet child," He laughed.  "I wait for your daddy to try and rescue you.  But more, I wait for your sweet cousin, Eiko."

Author's note:  The character of Jade is owned by Kimeiko.  I have permission to use her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Jade sat in one of the chambers that Kuja had kept Zidane and the others in so many years earlier.  She was not alone in the room, however.  A thin body in ragged clothes lay at curled up opposite to her against the wall.  He hadn't even looked up when she had been thrown in there, and it seemed that he either didn't know she was there or didn't care.

Jade crept slowly closer to him and put a tiny hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly.  "Mister… mister?  Are you alive?"

A sigh mixed with a groan came from the body, and the figure sat up and turned to look at Jade.  At the sight of him upright, she grasped and scrambled backwards, pressing herself up to a wall, as far away from him as possible.  An ironic, twisted smile came to the man's face.  "I look just like him, don't I?  Well, if it's anything at all to you, you look just like your mother as well."

Jade just stared and stuttered.  "You… you stay away from me!"

He flipped his white, feathery hair out of his face and smiled at her, that same girlishly handsome smile that was so imprinted in the minds of the people of Alexandria.  Zidane took great effort to make sure that Kuja was remembered.  "My name is Skah.  Not a very attractive name is it?  Well, I was never my father's favorite person.  I got Kuja's looks and nothing at all from my mother.  No summoning powers, no nothing.  Why do you think he keeps me in here?  I can't get out."

"You mean, you're not Kuja?" Jade asked.

"If I was Kuja, I sure wouldn't be stuck here," Skah muttered darkly.  "If I had any magic, any skill at all, I wouldn't be stuck here!!!"

Jade threw her arms around his neck, startling him.  "It doesn't matter!  You can rescue me!"

"Princess…" Skah began, but he couldn't think of any response, so he just held her and set his cheek against her soft hair.

Burmecia 

"Eiko!" Freya raced forward from the gate of the city to meet her old friend.  "And Cahira, Dagger, Vivi… it's so good to see you!  Who is this young man?"

"Don't play coy with us," Eiko teased.  "I'm sure you know very well who Flynn is."

"The infamous son of Amarant and Lani.  Of course I know who you are," Freys smiled wickedly.  "I could ask you why you're here, but I'm almost positive I already know.  Come inside the city and the palace, and we can discuss old time… and new ones."

"Thank you, Freya," Dagger said, relieved that her parents' old friend would be so willing to help them on their quest to find Eiko's admirer.

The group gathered in the conference room in Burmecia's palace, and Eiko quickly explained everything that had happened so far, not because she didn't think that Freya didn't know about it already, but because she figured that she might be able to supply some sort of detail that they hadn't heard about.  Freya sat silently through the whole thing, and about halfway through, Sir Fratley came in to sit beside her and listen as well.

"We have head everything you have pointed out to us," Sir Fratley commented.  "The only information we know nothing about is the note that the Admirer left for you at Madain Sahri.  May we see it?"

"I destroyed it," Eiko said bluntly.  "But I can tell you what it said."

Freya nodded.

"It said, 'Home is where the heart lies.  But now you have no reason to love any of these places.  I will give you a home for your heart.  I wait with open arms, my love.'"

Dagger shuddered.  "Isn't that one of the most disgusting things you've ever heard?"

"Indeed," Freya said quietly.  "I was thinking that I wouldn't have to send one of our more elite spies with you, because you have Blank in your group, and he is a member of Tantulus.  Plus, you have Cahira, and she is more than able to protect you.  I would say the same for Vivi, but his magic is diminishing the same as the rest of the Black Mages…"

"You will help us then?" Eiko asked eagerly.

"I have no choice but to send my best with you.  The world does not need to break out in war again, or to lose another leader of Lindblum so quickly after losing the last ones.  My condolences on the loss of you parents, my dear," Sir Fratley intoned before Freya could respond, but she nodded her agreement.

"And thank you for your help," Cahira said respectfully.

"So, who are you going to send with us?"  Flynn asked.  The young boy did very well at getting straight to the point.

Freya and Sir Fratley exchanged anxious glances.  Vivi stepped in before they could answer and said softly.  "You know what you have to do.  It seems that these things are always planned before the results.  I would not say that our meeting so long ago was chance, my friends.  And now, I would not say that this is chance either."

Freya opened her mouth to speak, but a young rat ran into the room, bowing before the both of them.  "My lord and lady!  Terrible news!"

But before he could tell them, Zidane burst in from the back of the room, waving a note in front of him.  "Freya!  Freya, I need your help!!!"

"Daddy?" Dagger jumped up from her seat.  "What are you doing here?!"

Zidane's face was tight with fury, and the rat stood and spoke.  "He's here to tell you the same thing that I am, I'm sure.  Princess Jade has been kidnapped!"

There was no collective gasp, no noise of any sort until Eiko spoke.  "It must be _him_."

Zidane held out the note to Freya.  "He says that he wants ransom, but not just any ransom.  He says that Eiko must be delivered to him, alone.  And by no one else but Flynn!"

Freya nodded.  "It seems that a counterattack is necessary.  I have decided who I will send with you…"

Another young rat burst into the room.  "Me."

"Puck!" Vivi said with delighted surprise.

"Your Highness!" Sir Fratley sputtered.

"You know there is no other choice, my Lord Fratley.  I must go with them.  As Vivi said, it has been set from the beginning."

"But, but my daughter!" Zidane yelled.

"For once, I must agree, your Highness," Freya said.  "Zidane, I know this is your daughter, but this time, it is not your fight.  Your duties ended with Kuja.  It is time for the next generation to take care of their own wars."

"But… but…!" Zidane's fury did not settle any at this news.

"I have more news for you," Puck said.

"Yes?" Eiko asked, after a long silence.

"We have found out who your admirer is," Puck said with a tight smile.

"Who?!"

"A young man named Talus.  And you will never guess who exactly he is."

"Who?!" Eiko demanded again.

"He's Kuja's son."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

"Where did the letter say that you need to deliver Eiko to?" Puck asked Zidane.  "You never did mention."

Zidane grunted, still seething and annoyed that he wasn't rushing off to rescue his daughter immediately.  "You don't intend to deliver her…"

Eiko put on a pained expression.  "Of course they intend to deliver me, Zidane.  Princess Jade's life is much more important than mine at this moment.  I can defend myself, but a helpless little girl can't do anything against that… that monster!"

"We have to find some way to rescue her!  I can't let you sacrifice yourself!" Zidane fumed, and he began to pace the floor.  "Maybe the Black Mages…"

"Useless," Vivi shook his head.  "This Talus is stealing all our powers.  We wouldn't be able to do anything against him.  Plus, if what you say you saw is true, then the Black Waltzes have been revived even more powerful than before.  We would be nothing compared to their power and Talus' power."

"Then Garnet and Eiko's eidolons…" Zidane tried.

"They don't dare," Dagger cut in.  "Who knows if Talus can steal their magic as well.  Beatrix told me a few weeks ago that she has been feeling weaker lately herself.  We don't really want to risk Jade or Eiko's lives with something we don't even know will work."

"Dammit!!!" Zidane slammed his fists down onto the coffee table in front of him.  "What _do we do then?!"_

"Well, first, you tell me just exactly where Talus wants Eiko delivered," Puck began.

"Then I deliver her to Talus," Flynn continued.

"And then I find a way to kill him and escape," Eiko finished.  "It's all very simple, really."

"Not so simple if he can wipe away your summoning powers!  What are you going to do?  Bash him over the head with your flute?!" Zidane snapped.

"Please, Zidane, you don't need to hit below the belt," Eiko winced.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!" Zidane roared, grabbing Eiko's shoulders.

Freya spoke up.  "And how do you figure that?"

"If it wasn't for Eiko, Talus wouldn't have kidnapped Jade in the first place!" He continued to shake Eiko until she pulled away from him, tears in her eyes.

"And I suppose it's my fault that he killed my parents and the moogles.  This isn't very rational of you, Zidane.  How can you blame me for this?" Tears began to stream down her face.

The rest of the group just stared at him, speechless.  They waited for his face to relax and then he pulled Eiko into his arms.  "I'm sorry.  I know it's not your fault.  I'm just so frustrated because we can't do anything!"

"Then how do you think I feel?" Eiko sobbed softly.  "He's killed my whole family."

"I know… and I'm sorry."

Eiko pulled away and went to sit down on the cushy couch, her pretty blue eyes still flowing with tears but haunted by a vacant look of anguish.  She crossed her hands in her lap and looked down at them.

"I think we should head for Treno as quickly as possible.  I'd like to be ready for anything that might show up there unexpected," Cahira said matter-of-factly.

Puck nodded.  "I agree.  The sooner I get there, the sooner I can scout out the area and start gathering information.  We know that Kuja used to frequent Treno.  Maybe Talus has done the same thing.  If anyone knows anything about him, I'll find it out."

"I'll go with you," Cahira said with a curt nod.

"Agreed," Puck smiled.

**Desert****Palace**

Skah had been removed from Jade's cell earlier that morning and she sat there alone, the heat from the pit below making her sweat.  She refused to give her captor any victories, though, and she sat there pristine and perfect with her hands daintily folded in her lap.  She murmured softly under her breath, "I am a princess of Alexandria.  I am a princess of Alexandria.  I am a princess of Alexandria."

All of a sudden she could hear Talus' voice.  "Don't worry, my dear.  It's not you I'm after.  Of course, I might just kill you for the pleasure of it, but once Eiko is my queen you and no other in the world will matter."

"You'll never get away with this," Jade yelled, standing.  She clenched her little fists at her sides.  "My daddy will come and rescue me!  That's what daddies are for!"

"Silly child.  Zidane has nothing to do with this.  This is between me and Eiko."

Jade wasn't as stupid as Talus thought, though.  She was a very smart child, just like Garnet and Zidane had been as well as her two sisters.  "No!  This is between you and all the other people that know me and Eiko.  They will come after you!"

"And risk your life?  I don't think so.  Your dear friends and relatives aren't stupid, my pet."

"We'll just have to wait and see," Jade snapped, crossing her arms and lifting her chin.

But Talus didn't reply to her challenge with anything in words.  The only thing that happened was the door opened and Black Waltz No. 2 threw a very bloody Skah into the room.  He wasn't visibly cut from anywhere that Jade could see, but blood ran down his face, through his hair, and down his body.

Jade ran over to Skah's body.  He wasn't dead, she could see, but he was very weak.  His eyes fluttered open, the blood streaming around them.  Jade took her white nightgown and ran it over his face, staining it with blood.  "What did he do to you?!"

Skah coughed, a stream of blood coming from his mouth.  "The usual.  He always has to make sure that I'm not going to bloom into any immeasurable power, so he challenges me with one of his eidolons and beats me half to death.  I don't know why he doesn't just kill me.  It would be better than the life I'm living right now."

"Don't say that," Jade cried, tears running onto her nightgown, and she used them to mop at his face.  "Your brother is an evil, evil man!"

"I know, but there's nothing I can do about it," Skah choked.  "He wants Eiko and the world and he'll do anything to get them.  He knows that if I ever get any power, I will destroy him.  So, he makes sure I never will by locking me up in this cage and testing me.  I think that I amuse him because I look like our father and he has all of the power.  It's like this awful game."

"We have to stop him," Jade whispered.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"I don't know, but we will!"

**Treno**

Eiko looked at Flynn as they stood in front of the old auction building that had long ago been shut down.  He took her hand protectively.  "Don't worry.  I'll protect you."

"It's not me I'm worried about.  Take care of Princess Jade."

Flynn nodded solemnly.

Eiko slowly opened the cob-webbed door of the auction building and stepped inside.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

The cobwebs were incredibly thick, and Eiko had to brush them out of the way just to be able to see anything.  She wasn't exactly sure why Talus wanted to meet there other than the place was abandoned.  However, firmly certain she was able to take care of herself, and perfectly willing to do anything to rescue little Jade, she trudged forward through the dust and the webs without a thought for herself, but rather thinking of Zidane's young daughter.

Eiko still loved Zidane in her own way, but adoring crush of a child had long since turned into sisterly admiration, and she thought of Zidane more as a close friend now than someone she could ever consider a lover.  Besides, her love of Garnet had grown with the years as well, and she wouldn't do anything to hurt the wonderful woman or her family.

At first, Eiko had felt like an outcast, living with Cid and Hilde away from all her friends in Alexandria and the other parts of the world.  But as she visited Garnet and Zidane and they came to visit her, she felt more and more a part of their family then alone without a family, a home, or a race of people to call her own.

Because of this, Eiko also had a firm love for all three of Zidane and Garnet's children, though she'd have to admit that she was torn between spending time with little Jade and spending time with Dagger.  The older girl was more mature and related to Eiko fairly well, even at her young age.  But Jade was willful, mischievous, and adorable, and there was no end to the boundless love that she poured over everyone she came in contact with.  This only hardened Eiko's resolve to save the young princess.

After she plodded along for a while, she heard a creak beside her, and she turned to see an open door with a light.  Jade stood in that doorway, her eyes fearful but determined.  She stepped forward and silently motioned for Eiko to come to her, but before Eiko could even move, two hands grabbed her shoulders from behind and pulled her down into the dust.

Desert Palace 

Jade was awoken from an already fitful sleep by the sound of shouting and moaning.  She jumped up to see Skah rolling from side to side, his face twisted in disgust and pain.  He was obviously asleep, and she rushed over to shake him awake.  After a few moments of intense shaking and saying, "Skah!  Skah, wake up!", the genome finally awoke and stared at her with frightened eyes.

She brushed his face with her hand, feeling more like a mother than a little girl of six.  "Shh… It was just a bad dream.  Maybe If you tell me about it, I can make it better."

Skah stared at her, uncomprehending for a moment, then his face softened and he sighed.  Taking her little hand, he settled her in his lap, and she rested her head against his chest.  "If I hadn't mentioned it before… Talus and I are twins.  We aren't identical, as I'm sure you know, and our personalities are quite opposite as well.  But we do have a link to each other.  We can read each other's minds.  Not all the time, though.  Talus has found a way to block me out, but we usually do share each others dreams.  It's fairly rare for him to get one of mine, since he is the more powerful of the two of us, but I dream his dreams almost every night."

"That's awful!" Jade exclaimed, her eyes drooping back into sleepiness.  "What was the dream tonight?"

Not really wanting to tell her, but feeling an obligation, Skah continued.  "He often has dreams about revenge against Zidane and Garnet.  Sometimes against Vivi or Amarant or Qina.  He doesn't think very much about Freya, but he's hateful of Steiner.  He believes they should all be destroyed for ruining Kuja's master plan."

"But what about Eiko?  She was there, too…" Jade yawned.

"Yes, but she was just a child then.  At least, that's how he excuses her from his irrational revenge.  He thinks of her as a beautiful young woman that he must have…" Skah's voice turned dreamy.  "And she is beautiful.  Beautiful, strong, young, vivacious…"

Jade turned to look at him critically.  "You almost sound in love with her yourself!"

"No, I just admire her, that's all," Skah said quickly.  "I don't get contact with other people, other than you of course.  But I feel a link to Queen Eiko because she is the only person that I have ever seen in a fond light, if only from Talus' dreams."

"Do you think he will kill her?" Jade asked softly.

"No.  But he could do horrible, horrible things to her…" Skah sighed.  "My brother's love is a twisted, violent love.  He loves Eiko and thinks that she is beautiful, but he also thinks that she believes herself above him and must be brought down to his level.  He will never kill her, but he will probably abuse her like he abuses me…"

Jade had no response.  She was already asleep.  Skah was grateful for that, and he settled back against the wall, cradling the child in his arms.  Comforted by her small body being held in his, he fell back to a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Meanwhile… 

Eiko woke to find herself hanging naked by her wrists from a bar in the middle of one of the circular rooms she remembered being held in so long ago.  Her toes touched the floor, but she was not close enough to stand, and even though her hands were bound by silk, her wrists were getting very, very sore.

She turned in a circle to look at the door and saw the handsome young genome-summoner standing there with a twisted smile on his face.  He walked up to her and ran his hands over her body.  She shivered, out of repulsion or pleasure, she wasn't sure.

Grabbing her chin in his hand, he kissed her hard and cruelly.  "Ah, my beautiful Eiko, you are finally mine."

"Never!" she spat.

"Never say never, my dear," He warned her, tilting his head down to one of her breasts.  "I still have Princess Jade."

"Don't touch me!" She cried.

But his mouth was already on her, and there was nothing she could do…


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Zidane paced the halls of Alexandria Castle, his face filled with worry.  Garnet refused to come out of her room, and little Emerald's face was bleak and always stained by tears.  The family didn't speak to each other, other than Garnet's whispered concerns to Zidane each night before bed, and the comforting love they tried to give to their daughter, but Emerald remained just as silent as they.

Steiner and Beatrix continued watching over the castle and trying to keep everything well, but three days had passed since Eiko's disappearance, and it didn't look like things were going to start getting any better.

Flynn, Vivi, Puck, Cahira, Blank, and Dagger all journeyed from Treno to Alexandria Castle, where they were soon met by Freya, Fratley, Amarant, Lani, and Tantalus.  The group had agreed on an early meeting the next morning and they latter group retired after the decision was made.  Blank left to talk to Tantalus and Zidane before bed, and quiet descended on the room.

Finally, Flynn spoke.  "I failed her."

Vivi shook his head.  "You did what had to be done.  All we can do now is wait for morning to come and then we'll decide where to go from there."

"We didn't even get Jade back!" Dagger exclaimed in a whisper, her face as solemn as the others.  "That lying cheat didn't even give her back!"

"There's nothing we can do about it," Cahira muttered.

Puck stood and began to cross towards the exit.  "Let's just go to bed.  We have enough on our minds besides lack of sleep.  It's Eiko and Jade that are important, and we can't do anything about it until morning anyway.  Why get frustrated now?"

They all nodded and stood, each walking toward different doors.  Flynn stopped Dagger before she could exit.  His eyes filled with tears.  Dagger knelt down and pulled him into her arms, and they just held each other silently as they cried.

Desert Palace 

Talus sat on his throne, his hand gently placed on the knee of the woman next to him.  Her dark hair was pulled tightly back in an exquisite style, a small circlet resting around her forehead.  She wore a low cut white silk dress with a long train that flowed around her dainty legs.  Her forearms were gloved with white lace that went to her wrists, and each finger had a gold ring on it that matched the circlet.  Around her neck was a simple gold chain with a small gold locket in the shape of a heart.  She lifted her hand slowly and rested it on top of his.  Talus smiled at her.  "You're doing very well, my Queen."

"Thank you, love," she said, no inflection in her voice.  Her blue eyes were vacant and clear, and the only sign of emotion on her face was a small tilt at the corner of her mouth, giving her a sort of cruel looking smile.  "I always try to please you."

"I know, I know," He said, leaning over to kiss her cheek.  "And you do so well.  Are you interested in some entertainment, dearest?"

She nodded without speaking, and he clapped his hands.

Jade and Skah were dragged into the room in chains.  Their faces held rebellious expressions, and Talus snapped at them.  "Do you not kneel before your master?!"

Slowly, both of them lowered themselves onto their knees, but their facial expressions didn't change.  Talus' eyes became enraged, but they quickly calmed and he smiled.  "No.  I will let my Queen deal with you.  Tell me, Eiko, what do you see?"

"Kuja and Princess Jade," she said softly.

"Why are you here, dearest?" he asked, reaching a hand up to caress her face.

"To be with you."

"But why did you come here originally?" he coaxed gently, turning her to look at him.

Eiko's face twisted in confusion for a moment, but she finally said, "To save Princess Jade."

"From who?" Talus smiled, turning her back to look at Skah.

"From Kuja."

"No!" Skah yelled.  "I'm not Kuja!  I'm his son, I'm…"

"Shut up!" Talus yelled, and Waltz No. 3 came up behind him and hit him upside his head with the staff.

"Tell me, my precious Eiko.  What is your only goal in life?" Talus asked her, pulling her to a standing position.

"To please you."

"And after that?"

"To kill Kuja and save Princess Jade."

"I have delivered Kuja to you, my love.  Would you like to kill him for me?" He asked her, kissing down her neck to the rise of her breast, watching Skah's face twist with suppressed anger.

There was a pause of extended silence as the four of them looked at each other.  Finally, Eiko opened her mouth.

"Yes."

"No!"  Jade yelled, beginning to cry.  "Don't kill him!  Don't kill him!  He's not Kuja!  His name is Skah!  He's a good person.  He would never try to hurt me."

But it was too late.

Skah stared at Eiko, then at Talus, who stood next to her as she raised her flute to her lips.  Talus waved at him.  "Goodbye, brother.  It's been nice to have you around.  I'm sure we'll meet in the next life."

"Go to Hell!" Skah shouted.

"Oh, I know I will," Talus laughed at him.

As the exchange happened, Princess Jade pulled at her chains, which were slightly to big, and after a little bleeding along the sides of her hands, managed to yank them out of their captors.  Tears streaming down her face, she launched herself at Talus right as Eiko released her summon spell on Skah.

Arella's Note:  Ach!  What's going to happen to Skah, Eiko, and Jade?  Guess what!  I'm going to finish it with the next chapter!!!  And then, maybe, just maybe, I'll add an epilogue.  Enjoy!


End file.
